Clues

1-across – Even scores — could it straighten out oneês hang-ups? : LEVELPEGGING

8-across – Way to tighten up teachers on length of hair : LOCKNUT

9-across – Meat — food generally backed in German community : HAMBURG

11-across – Set off to start a Gunnersê attack : TRIGGER

12-across – Sectarians stifling publicity, I suspect, at first? : CULPRIT

13-across – Some clanger or recklessness needing reviewing : ERROR

14-across – Bully-boy, growing up with consuming passion, lived and died here : LABYRINTH

16-across – Old hat worn on the way out taken by cab : HACKNEYED

19-across – Purloin dossier unfinished by companion : FILCH

21-across – Means to find a way to achieve driving ambition : ROADMAP

23-across – Another name for a Roman garden ornament seen in article : AGNOMEN

24-across – Public schoolboy cut short touring southern state : ESTONIA

25-across – Periodical change of tone — it may set sparks flying : MAGNETO

26-across – Flimsy dress — of course it could be talked about! : UNDERGARMENT

1-down – Possibly cruel about king, one with greater fortune : LUCKIER

2-down – Sour grapes — or, rather, a product therefrom : VINEGAR

3-down – Subsequently colleague found how to get something across … : LATERALLY

4-down – … and this Roman acquired moral principles : ETHIC

5-down – Person going punting who sometimes gets one down? : GAMBLER

6-down – One not charged given time in special cell : NEUTRON

7-down – Whereby one may air a cynical description of a model : CLOTHESHORSE

10-down – Finally understand, put out fag, then go about an article : GETTHEHANGOF

15-down – Concocted dream brew — it contributed to cosy kip! : BEDWARMER

17-down – Rock musician to applaud, having not given up : CLAPTON

18-down – Someone put up with long time taken over securing source of riches : NOMINEE

19-down – Act dishonestly, being good in the end? : FINAGLE

20-down – Shedding some light, clobber criminal : LAMBENT

22-down – Pained reaction about computerês last crash : PRANG

1-across – The favourite’s certain to win a little bit : SNIPPET

5-across – Rue bolt being off gun? I can fix it : TROUBLE

9-across – Most European characters need Tory leadership to come alive with : CONTEMPORANEOUS

10-across – Night flier, male, to take to the water : BATHE

11-across – Magnificent night flier in sporting contest : SUPERBOWL

12-across – Not a principal unfinished fraction : THIRDPART

14-across – Sound of waterfall as a rule … : REIGN

15-across – … from land and water in Africa : NIGER

16-across – Dives with French soldier and graduate among cats : MONEYBAGS

18-across – Rubbish on the front page about Poles having to change vessels : TRANSSHIP

21-across – Fantastic Shakespearean copper in a painting the wrong way round : LUCIO

22-across – Kind solver : SORTYOURSELFOUT

23-across – An Italian writer in no hurry : ANDANTE

24-across – Journeyman taking tea instead of usual start to breakfast? : TREKKER

1-down – Almost 108 gallons of sherry in old brass : SACKBUT

2-down – Shocked query about new cars is unhinged : ISNOTHINGSACRED

3-down – He claimed the place of the steam locomotive : PRETENDER

4-down – Chief island’s headgear : TOPIS

5-down – Short pants shortened at either end available in Northants. : THRAPSTON

6-down – He has now upset the Queen : OWNER

7-down – 10 : BIOLOGICALCLOCK

8-down – Greek character piles on the agony : EPSILON

13-down – Home provided for a pound for quiet creature about to be so! : ALMSHOUSE

14-down – Prince playing for Oxford or Cambridge? : ROYALBLUE

15-down – Russian girl with some facial hair in North America : NATASHA

17-down – See 5 across : SHOOTER

19-down – Proceed with your remarks about a year, my boy : SAYON

20-down – Make an assumption from 4 : POSIT

1-across – Nippers reported other nippers : PINCHERS

5-across – Naipaul’s house man, twice overlooked : BISWAS

9-across – A cover to covet, in short? Get away with you! : ENVELOPE

10-across – Grate pickle : SCRAPE

12-across – Spooner’s shaggy potholer brings butter up : CURRYFAVOUR

15-across – Happening to be a regular square? : EVENT

17-across – Bow man? They say he’s not tough at all! : EASTENDER

18-across – Most accomplished first part of clip on mount : CLEVEREST

19-across – See 22 : THING

20-across – Over Rover, not Rex, being prodigal : EXTRAVAGANT

24-across – Moody, follows order in the dream : OBERON

25-across – Encourages nits in the kitchen? : EGGSLICE

26-across – The first person, say, to rent out a hole : EYELET

27-across – Exploits covering half-nude novices? : STUDENTS

1-down – Foresight shown by epicene SCR? : PRESCIENCE

2-down – A land tick? : NEVERNEVER

3-down – All head off to Golightly : HOLEY

4-down – Substitutes artificial pearls containing binding agent : REPLACEMENTS

6-down – False gold held in centric structure : INCORRECT

7-down – I beg your pardon, for fairly it supports 22 : WHAT

8-down – One of 39 keeps dancing on ladder : STEP

11-down – Turns over a new leaf and is undeviating : GOESSTRAIGHT

13-down – Scotch maid to share esteem? : ADMIRATION

14-down – Good queen embraces true knight with vivacity : BRIGHTNESS

16-down – Other free radical is thus : THEREFORE

21-down – Equally despondent Middle East leader : ASSAD

22-down – It’s borrowed for a traditional bride : SOME

23-down – The reported grain yield : CEDE

1-across – Strong point in favour of long hair : FORTRESS

5-across – A crawler falls back before royalty : SPIDER

9-across – An odd escort for an older member of the family! : ANCESTOR

10-across – Gets out the greenstuff : LEAVES

11-across – Striking the Conservatives as comprehensive : OUTRIGHT

12-across – A reporter playing a Shakespearean role : PISTOL

14-across – Rues a failure in efforts to make lots of money : TREASURIES

18-across – Not operating in the right way : LEFTHANDED

22-across – He wrote The Environmentalist Direction : GREENE

23-across – A singer, a Brit, unhappily single : BARITONE

24-across – Some people put on a gerrymandering ass : ONAGER

25-across – Desiring change of place to get the best view : RINGSIDE

26-across – Leaderless men have an inclination to join up : ENLIST

27-across – Extension in credit facility provision : INCREASE

1-down – Tart about travel, showing bottle : FLAGON

2-down – Detail military personnel mention : RECITE

3-down – Social reformer making a variety of babyfood popular : RUSKIN

4-down – Concealing and disguising things more : SMOTHERING

6-down – Valued before many acknowledgements of indebtedness : PRECIOUS

7-down – Joint veto resolution taken in parliament : DOVETAIL

8-down – Not settled, so not given support : RESTLESS

13-down – Cut the string and share out fairly : LACERATION

15-down – Following decline, a European intended to raise the standard : FLAGPOLE

16-down – Wanting more than some, nevertheless : AFTERALL

17-down – Getting awfully stern after tea, they’ll give voice : CHANTERS

19-down – The guy from down under responsible for the spadework : DIGGER

20-down – Get into trouble over a glass of sherry : COPITA

21-down – View round about noon undisturbed : SERENE

1-across – It may be pointed out in the desert : CACTUS

5-across – Mother angled for a place at Oxford : MAGDALEN

9-across – Arsenal manager : ARMOURER

10-across – Eat, but not seriously we hear : INGEST

11-across – Commercial advantage in rebuilding in single plot : SELLINGPOINT

13-across – Back a mount, ie bet : ANTE

14-across – Strangely ill with bug? No, it’s in the blood : GLOBULIN

17-across – Accommodate a man who suffered in fraud : PUTUPJOB

18-across – Lied about being out of work : IDLE

20-across – Police officer at finish of chase examining body : INSPECTORATE

23-across – Trees having no great variety : BONSAI

24-across – Registered having listened for a change : ENLISTED

25-across – Items of clothing used by violinists : GSTRINGS

26-across – A wave that makes a wave : ROLLER

2-down – Crooked king in a bad way : AWRY

3-down – Not a single female will wear this outfit : TROUSSEAU

4-down – Painfully secretive about foreign money : SORELY

5-down – Union convenors? : MARRIAGEBROKERS

6-down – Absconding child makes mischief : GOINGSON

7-down – A short spell of hostile behaviour : AGGRO

8-down – German city circulating a list of necessities : ESSENTIALS

12-down – Unions need new suggestions : INNUENDOES

15-down – Ivan’s rule – terrible, in general : UNIVERSAL

16-down – Pilot’s emergency exit? : EJECTION

19-down – Guest for the bingo official : CALLER

21-down – Prose form that gives difficulties : POSER

22-down – Said to be top dog : PEKE